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Baah Baah Blog

This was dinner last night - Friday July 6th! Our very first tomatoes from the garden. BLT's were delish!

Ok - here goes...

Time flies when you are having fun - and we have been doing a lot of that and even more! The bad news is I have not honored my new years farm resolution to blog. There are so many wonderful exciting things I want to share and by the end of the day I just plain fizz out. I usually fall into bed and am asleep before my head even hits the pillow - already dreaming about the next amazing day that waits for us.

We've booked a zillion field trips, parties and crazy cool campers so far and it looks like Fall will be even BAAH-ter as the sheep say.

My new goal is to go for a quiet 30 mins even before the roosters wake up and here is the most farm-tastic thing ... I have managed to convince Rose...My Vice President of Barketing to talk to Olivia the Pig and everybody else in the barnyard and see if each of them will help me out and do a report here and there.

Everybody is totally eggcited so stay tuned.

I am headed out to the barnyard to give everybody their assignments!

OH - BIG BIG NEWS... since I got married and I am now officially a Wilder... We are starting the Wild Ones!

Anybody who loves Little House on the Prairie and all the adventures of the Ingles family that go along with it can join us this FALL for our very own set of adventures as we work thru the books, the art projects, recipies and more. It should be a blast!

#1This Weekend is the big BIG Baby Day!time: 12:45 -3:15 cost: $10 per person COME CELEBRATEBaby April our adorable miniature donkey will be 9 years old.Baby Chicks just hatched on Tuesday -- way cuteand...we are babysitting every girls' dream...A 14 day old foal from Brownwood Farm.(I've waited 50 years to see this up close and personal)We will meet all the babies and the rest of the barnyard crew.Hop a hayride and make some fun art too.Time: 12:45-3:15 we have private parties before & after so be on time!cross your fingers that our little lambs will be born soon too.

#2THIS FRIDAYstory time & barnyard hulabaloo. 10-12:30Come enjoy a story in the Haybarn with Farmer Sue then head out to the barnyard to meet the entire crew.

We will hop a hayride and of course... make some farmtastic art too. RSVP greatly appreciated - cost $10 per person. Be sure to check the DAILY activity tab on the website for open daysduring the week - we've got lots of good things growing on!

#3summer CAMP CAMP CAMPwe still have some spaces available the following weeks:** june 4-8 at the farm * june 18-22 in the CITY * july 16-21 **** weeks not listed above are jammin with field trippers & we are accepting only a few campers as "farm hands" to help run the show -- awesome chance for older friends to experience the farm in a whole new way. - call farmer sue for details

#4 x x o the Nest is Besta very sweet Mother's Day WorkshopCome with your mom or come with a friend to make this sweet sweet little nest as a special gift for your mom.We will create a beautiful hand made bird nest, adorned with feathers, flowers & eggs.

These are keepers for sure! This project was featured in TravelGirl magazine a few years backWe will also have time to meet all the new babies on the farm, have time to hop a hayride and visit with your other favorite farm friends. DO BRING A PICNIC LUNCH TO ENJOYrsvp only parent/child combo $30 Saturday May 12th 10-1:00cross your fingers.... maybe the new lambs will be born

#5That Farmer Sue & The Barnyard Crew love YOU!Thank you to each and everyone of YOU for making thisYOUR FAMILY FARM.All your support and love this spring feels like a giantfarm 5hawgsnkissesfrom farmer sue & the barnyard crewsee you at the farm real soon!

Wow -- never a dull moment here on the farm that is for sure. Spring is busting out all over - the pasture is green green green and filled with lucky four leaf clovers. The fruit trees made beautiful flowers and I found figs starting on our fig trees.

I just finished making a list of workshops to get on the list for the next 2 months -- take a look at them under the daily tab and let me know if you are interested in getting a group together for any of them... They are perfect for a parent and child to work on together or as a Ladies Night Out.

pictures photos great shots -- am trying to figure out what to put up tonight. This past weekend we attended a wedding in the Seaside/Destin area - it was gorgeous. I even got in a quick tour of the Charter School at Seasides way cool community garden -- will most certainly put some of those great ideas to work at the farm.

If you are headed down that way be sure to check out Red Bay Grocery for some awesome BBQ and the yummiest home made toasted coconut I cream I have ever eaten. The shelves are loaded with home style goodies -- the place was picture perfect -- thanks ya'll -- and oh I forgot to mention the peanut brittle - worth every calorie.

FISHIN did you say fishin.... we went out with Captain Larry -- his boat was named Dead Fish -- ok I guess that is funny if you are a fisherman -- but any way Captain Larry was amazing - we weren't fishin... we were CATCHIN! Every cast brought in a fish -- loads of them went back because they were not in season or were too small -- they were beautiful and I had a blast.

• Thank YOU to all our friends who came to The Chattahoochee Nature Center

- we had over 1000 visitors. WOW

• Wednesday March 28 we have room for a few more friends in our morning activity 10-12:30 ($10 per person) you'll meet all the animals, hop a hayride, make some great art, see the BABY CHICKS & DUCKLINGS and have time for a picnic -- so pack a picnic & don't forget your camera! no rsvp needed

• The SHEEP SHEARING is finally set for SUNDAY APRIL 15 from 10-2, this is a RSVP ONLY DATE. Tickets to this special event are $12.50

• CAMP CAMP CAMP: We still have a few places in our CITY CAMP and lots of spaces in FARM CAMP

• Our friend Courtney has 2 kittens for adoption - they are spayed and neutered & have their shots - beautiful little grays - Courtney is moving and is heartbroken she can't take them with her. If you are interested contact me & I will forward photo & email info.

• Here are a couple of workshops that we are planning.

all activities are here at the farm and will have ample time to snuggle animals and hop a hayride of course! If YOU have an idea for a workshop you'd like to see on the farm - let me know and we will give it a try!

- create a hand painted hummingbird feeder - great for kids or adults. all supplies included $20 per person

- get farmy and come plant a potatoe tower - super easy to grow & You'll learn about some other very easy gardening ideas you "CAN DO" as farmer sue likes to say - right at home. $30 parent child combo

- the nest is best! come make a delicate little birds nest filled with dried flowers, feathers and tiny eggs from clay along with a chicken or bird -- great for a mother's day gift - we will even make a special card. It is also great as mom&me time working together: $30 parent/child combo

and it is probably true! I will be posting the details of my craziest idea every... The PULL-It Palace. I just purchased a tiny travel trailer that was falling apart. Painted Santa Fe blue or turquoise. See Sketch above. A couple of my tiny friends have helped me round up all the chickens who have decided to demolish the new landscaping up front...(note to all feathery friends: this was not a good idea)

I have been working non stop since Thursday on this crazy thing. Got it painted and a large percentage of myself... note oil based paint is hard to remove from lots of things... like my face! I have spent the last 2 days building a mobile 10'x20' foot run that will give my feathery friends 200 square feet of square dancing room. It is very very cool. The trailer will be used for sleeping and egg laying... They all went in last night and just this morning the hens laid 5 beautiful eggs in the cupboards! EGG citing to say the least -- I did a little happy dance.

Just a little more work on the runs to make sure they are safe and secure and then they are done. The trailer will get big white daisies painted on it with black chickens -- and then finally all new interior decorating. Cute colors on perches and wall - great art & new curtains. These girls will travel in style.

I can't wait to share it with you. I will post some Pull-it Palace Progress report photos in just a bit.

The name makes me laugh -- A pullet is a young hen who has just entered the egg laying age -- so i thought since you have to pull the trailer with the truck or tractor and it is going to be sassy cute it was perfect.

It will say Pull-It Palace on the outside with a cute hen wearing a tiara!

hawgsnkisses from farmer sue.

ps: garden update - asparagus already popping up. arugula is growing like crazy. strawberries are looking good. sad news Honey Bees swarmed and took off - we will get a new bunch next month -- loads and loads of honey to process for spring fling - yummy. Just planted potatoes, carrots are next along with radishes & more.

Ok here's the deal - as I've mentioned before I have this amazing friend - Pattie Baker --- yes she does bake really good bread but what she is really really really good at is -- GROWING - she grows and grows and grows - in her yard, in community gardens, in school gardens, she sees potential everywhere -- check out her website www.FoodShedPlanet.com -- she inspires me every week to try one more new thing. thanks pattie!

Pattie says NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT POTATOES -- so I did. I followed her very easy tutorial -- you will find it 1/2 way down the page -- you'll get quick instructions on how to start your organic sweet potatoes & other potatoes. I could not help myself... I had to glam mine up a bit with a sprig or two of flowers. I will be looking forward to all kind of delicious sweet potatoe recipes.

AND...Yep you did do this back in kindergarten -- place sweet potatoes in water, use toothpicks on any too narrow to sit in mouth of jar. keep in a sunny place. change water frequently. wait for sprouts. break off leafy sections and plant in your garden in a month or so once soil warms up.

Tomorrow I will prep the red potatoes following Pattie's direction: yummy

Thursday February 23rd - sunny - warm - happy day with friends from near and far.

Today was on of those day that just make you smile. Great weather & great friends. We had first timers and old timers - and when I say old timers I don't mean agewise I mean friends who had been here years ago - moved away - and have now returned home from cool places like - yeehaw Colorado - they smiled at all the new updates and smiled to see animal friends they remembered from before - we had summer campers pop in so they could introduce their younger siblings to the farm - we had friends from just around the corner to friends from the opposite end of the state. Once you've been here YOU ARE FARM FAMILY. We loved having everyone here.

Olivia the pig said she very very much enjoyed sampling the left over lunches and CAKE - yummy.

I wanted to share with you a very sweet picture some of my new friends brought just for me --- I love it.

PS your baah-utiful plant will go in the terrarium this weekend.

hawgsnkisses to all my new friends and all my old friends YOU are what make the day special.

Today... I just typed an entire rambling essay about my friend and inspiration PATTIE BAKER. I went to check that I have her links listed correctly and managed to blow the whole thing away. Today has been a day of technological expansion for me...(challenges would be a very polite way to say it) and yes, finally I did do some techno stuff right. -- but oh.....I still need to get that turkey video into the blog!

So rather than re-ramble I will simple say... This is a writer... This is a person you should check out. Pattie has pointed me in so many helpful directions -- I found her in a crazy crazy way... check out Kudzu and you too might find a great friend!

I was reading an interesting kudzu homeowners 52 week check list, which was coordinated by Pattie, when I came across a crazy marketing tip at the bottom -- It made me smile so I sent the writer a quick note of thanks -- I certainly did not expect any answer -- and viola with in a few hours there was a note back -- turns out this snappy clever writer chick lives right here in Atlanta... Dunwoody to be egg-zact!

She is amazing and luckily for me she has become a wonderful friend and mentor in some very green areas.

Each night that fresh arugula from the garden appears on my plate I toast her -- it was Pattie who said to me -- STOP PLANNING THIS GARDEN AND GET IT PLANTED -- she is just that kinda chick -- a GREEN QUEEN -- make it happen kind of person who brings out the best in everybody.

One of the things I love about her is the book she just finished writing FOOD FOR MY DAUGHTERS -- this is a must read -- I am reading it slowly not because I am a slow reader - but because I don't want it to end - I want to go month by month with her on her journey -- it is a year and 10 years all rolled in to one read.

Please Please check out her site - I alwasy look forward to my Sunday Morning Post.

and hey -- read the part on starting your POTATOES RIGHT NOW -- I'm headed out to pick up my organic potatoes and get them ready for planting -- there is even a video to show you how - your kids will love doing this with you. --

hawgsnkisses ... i gotta get growin so i can keep up with pattie baker

As a professional writer (specializing in all aspects of sustainability), I write editorial and business materials that make a positive difference in our world. As a volunteer urban farmer, I grow food, community and knowledge for those in need. And now, as a Change Agent with Better World Books, I create easy, free opportunities for people nationwide to support global literacy programs, local non-profits, and the environment. See my LinkedIn profile here.